Device for stropping and honing razor blades



J. V. HOUSTON DEVICE FOR STROPPING AND HONING RAZOR BLADES May 1926.

Filed April 15, 1924 I gwue'nfo c J: V [7 07161011,

Patented May 4, 1926.

' oin; v, noosron, or K AMATH FALLS, oimeon.v

navrca FOR STROPP-ING Ann H0,1 \TI1\TG; RAZOR. BLADESQ Application filedApril 15, 1924. Serial no. 706,761. 4

To all whom z'tmay concern;-

, -Be it knownthat 1-, J OHN V.'HoUsToN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Klamath Falls, in the countyof Klamath 5 and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in 'Devices for Stropping and Honing RazorBlades; and I doherebydelclare'the following to be a full, clear, and exact. descriptionofthe invention, suchjaswill enable other skilled and i use the same.

in the art towhich itappertains to make 7 Thisinventi'on rel tes todevices for sharpening. safety razor blades', and has for its primaryobject theprovision of a novel device of thi s' kind through the mediumof which a double edged safety razor blade may be 'readil andefiiciently stropped or honed by h an j V further object 'of theinvention isthe provi sionof; a stropping and honing device of the character stated by means of which first one and then 'the other edgeoftheblade may besharpened and which shall include means adapted to protectthe edge notbeing sharpened andadapted to form a rest for the deviceduring the sharpening operation and a fulcrumlo-nwhich the device may berocked at the completion of each sharpening stroke as is customary inthe stropping and honing of razor blades. A further object of theinvention is the provision of a stropping and honing device of thecharacter stated which shall be simple and durable, to which the razorblades may be readily applied and removed and which may be manufacturedand soldat a comparatively low cost.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a safety razor blade stropping and honingdevice constructed in accordance with my invention, the device beingshown in condition for use,

Figure 2 is a similar view with the jaws of the clamp open I and withthe movable jaw locking element in section,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line3-3 of Figure 1 and Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the planeindicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, '1 designates the handleof the stropping and honing device. This part may I be made of wood,metal or any other 'suitable material, and it is reduced at its innerend .to provide a" cylindrical extension 2 and an annular shoulder 3. Aclamp 4 which comprises a relatively stationary jaw 5 and arelatively"movable jaw 6, is secured 05 to the handle 1 by ashank formedin tegrally with and extending from the inner end of therelativelystationary-jaw 5. The relatively movable jaw 6 is connected atits outer end to the outer end'of the relatively stationary jaw '75 by'a hinge-8 and-it is adapted to be 'swung into overlying position withrespect to the aw 5' when it is desired to secure a safety razor blade,such; 38 9, withinthe-clamp and swung? clear of/this .jawiwhen it isdesired to-reniove the'safet-y razor -blade The relatively stationaryjaw 5 is provided with studs lO'whichenter the openings in-the razorbladeY9-sto. hold the latter against any endwise or lateral movementswithxrespectito the clamp 4. :To: receive the projectingends of thestudsvlOi the relativel-y 'movable:jaw 6- is {provided with sockets or;depressions 1 1'. The relatively movablejaw 6" is secured in closed,position 5 by a cap1'2 and a lugfl 3 the latter being formed integrallywith and extending from I the inner end of the jaw; The cap 12 isrevolubly mounted on the reduced extension 2 of the handle 1 between theshoulder 3 and a shoulder 14 on the shank 7, as clearly shown in Figure2; The end wall of the cap 12 is provided with a slot 15 which opens outthrough one side thereof and which receives the shank 7 and the lug13.When 9 the cap 12 is turned to position the slot 15 in the plane of theclamp 4, the relatively movable jaw 6 is locked in closed position, andwhen the cap is turned to position the slot at right angle to the planeof the clamp the relatively movable jaw is freed for move-'ment'intoopen position. I When the relatively movable jaw 6 is in closedposition it is under a slight pressure which tends to move it intoopened position with the result that the lug 13 engages one wall of theslot 7 15 under sufficient pressure to prevent the accidental movementof the cap 12 from jaw looking to jaw releasing position. The cap 12 isheld against any movement lengthwise of the device by the shoulders 3and 14, and it is provided with an outwardly diable jaw 6 of the clamp 4are provided with longitudinal grooves which receive'the inturned ends18 of the spring jaws 19 of a clip 20. When in applied position, theclip 20 houses one edge of the razor blade 9, and it is provided with arounded outer side 21 to adapt it to be used as a fulcrum on which thedevice may be rocked at the completion of each sharpening stroke as iscustomary in the stropping' and honing of razor blades. The clip 20protects the edge of the razor blade 9 that is not being sharpened.

Assuming that the clamp 1 is open, to secure a razor bladeto the-device,it is only necessary to position the blade upon the relativelystationary jaw with the studs 10 passing through the openings of theblade. After this has been done, the relatively movable jaw 6 is swunginto closed position and secured in such position by turning the cap 12toarrange the slot 15 in the plane of the clamp 4. The clip isthenapplied to the clamp 4 by sliding it thereon from the outer end thereof,and after this has been done, the device is ready for use. After oneedge of the blade has been stropped or honed, theposition of the clip 20on the clamp 1 is reversed so as to expose the other edge of the bladeso that it may be sharpened and house and protect the sharpened edge. Toremove the sharpened blade from the device, it is only necessary toslide the clip 20 off of the clamp 4, then turn the cap 12 to positionthe slot 15 at right angles to the clamp with its open end outwardly ofthe relatively movable jaw 6, and thence swing this jaw into openedposition. V

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, it should be apparentthat I have provided a devicethrough the medium of which a double edged safety razor blade may beread,-

ily and efticientlystropped or honed by hand,

that a blade may be quickly applied to and removed from the device, andthat the device is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

It should be understood that the drawing is merely illustrative and doesnot pretend to give exact I proportions.

What is claimed is A device of the character set forth, comprising ahandle provided at one end with a reduced cylindrical extension and anannular shoulder, a relatively stationary clamping member provided atits inner end with a shank immovaby secured in said end of the handleand having a shoulder arranged in spaced relation to the shoulder on thehandle, a relatively movable clamping member pivoted to the outer end ofsaid first named clamping member and provided at its free end witha'lug, and a cap rotatably mounted upon the reduced extension of thehandle and having an endwall contacting with the shoulder on the shankand a side wall contacting with the shoulder on the handle, said endwall having a radially extending slot for the reception of the lug onthe relatively movable clamping member, and said shoulders retalnlng thecap 1n place.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN v. HOUSTON.

